Rainy Saturday, Independence Days, Grandtoddler River

Rainy Saturday-
We woke up to a slightly damp yard, but the sun was out by noon. The forecast had been for quite a bit of rain. Happy they were wrong! Cool, breezy and perfect fall weather. Jeans and flannel shirt weather! A little heat on in the morning, nice by evening. I put the comforter on the bed, switched out some work clothes. When I retire my wardrobe will be much smaller! Shorts and tee shirts for summer, flannel/fleece tops and jeans for winter. I'm a low maintenance gal by choice. Trees are starting to change color-

Deck flowers are blooming more with the cooler weather!

Anya always remembers the heating vents are , when it cools down-

Independence Days-

Here's a recent list of things we've done recently...

1. Plant Something- My two small lavenders, now that the heat subsided. We don't do "fall planting" here basically, the weather's too erratic. Yesterday was 78, today 63, dropped 20 degrees in two days.

2. Harvest Something- Several kinds of peppers, tomatoes ditto, except most of the red ones, still green. Eggs, herbs.

3. Preserve/Store Something- Froze sale artisan breads ($1.99! each), frozen lunches, salami, pesto.

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- I went to the Grocery Outlet on my way home from work and got some really great deals again. Italian bread, dry salami, frozen organic lunches, hair conditioner, protein sticks, Danish Jam, 2 HUGE acorn squash (.50 each), I had to get this little guy cause he was just too cute, $1.50, and solid wood- 

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- I received my cookbook from the Library, with tons of great recipes. Here's a few I want to try, many including Kefir-

Kinds of like pancakes but very different

Fried flat breads with Feta

Fermented tomatoes! Who knew???

I had a $10.00 free coupon from Cost Plus and bought two of these to try-

They're lean pork, smoked over actual wood, brine-packed, and shelf stable. It's the Meica Frankfurter , and more info here- Germanfoods.org I want to try with some kraut for a quick meal. I like the fact they're smoked over wood and not just smoke flavored. 

6. Build Community Food Systems- I got several pounds of dead ripe tomatoes from a patient at our clinic. May not be organic, but delish! Especially since mine aren't ripening too well. I may have to ripen mine indoors depending on the upcoming weather. I made a nice batch of fresh salsa! I also used some with several home grown peppers, Italian bread, salami and a little cheese-

Dinner!

7. Recycle/Re-Use- I cleaned up our old camping wash basin (now vintage!) that we bought years ago at a yard sale. It had been stored in the garage and I realized it would be perfect for seasonal items on our coffee table. It's funny how you buy someone's old basin for camping, years later it's "shabby chic" decor!

Faux squash/pumpkins from Hobby Lobby, $2.00, Home Depot burlap pumpkin, 

left over school paper leaves

8. Skill Up- Learning about Eastern European cooking. I watched Part one and two of How To Stay Young  on PBS. I think it's on YouTube too. REALLY fascinating stuff!!! Very useful information. 

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- Brought in some peppers that are supposed to redden (Italian) to ripen indoors. Too chilly right now. Leaving the rest on the vine to observe. Re-tailored some slacks that had stretched out, just took in the waist. They fit now!

Grand Toddler River-
We had the pleasure of having River here for a while today. We don't see him as much as we used to for job change reasons. We're doing an over-nighter next week, while his parents take the night off for their anniversary. He's a great eater, is walking and very good at entertaining himself. He loves everybody and has always been a very loving child. He had a snack, a home baked blueberry muffin, but was a bit tired. He soon took a nice nap then woke up. More snacks, then playtime!

Exploring the backyard for the first time walking-

Running to Grandpa

Sitting on the deck in the BIG chair

Sitting in his own (thrifted) folding chair

Checking out the pond

We babysit our other Grand baby Oliver every other Saturday morning thru early afternoon. He's crawling and starting to talk, his light blonde hair is growing in, really a fun personality!

Yes, he has his own phone!

Spring Independence Days, Easy Easter Decor

Spring Independence Days-
It's getting busy here on the little homestead, so here's an update!

1. Plant Something-
Soon, with some pansies for my window box, and maybe some cool weather starts. We'll get out our mini-greenhouse when the nights get out of the 30's.

2. Harvest Something-
Lots of eggs and chives.

3. Preserve/Store Something-
Still making water kefir, adding more freezer items.

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep-
I scored some great deals at the Grocery Outlet last night- frozen foods, gluten free granola bars I love in a 10-pack for $4.00! Also hair conditioner, Ben and Jerry's (OMG!) Strawberry Shortcake ice cream, and a 2 rake set for $10.00 for our new homeowner kids-

I also found 2 big, new pinwheels for the garden!

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe-

I saw this On Annabell Langbein's website, Tuscan Beef Ragu, and I'll be making this for dinner tomorrow night, looks yummy! I found her marathon showing of all her episodes on PBS today, what a treat!!!

6. Build Community Food Systems-
Still giving excess eggs to my kids, I may start selling some soon.

7. Recycle/Re-Use-
I'll be putting out my 3 thrifted wood, yard art flowers. I bought them in the winter, and stashed them-

We have some scrap cedar and I may have Dave help me build some planting boxes.

8. Skill Up-

Dave is doing research on how to repair our fascia above our siding. He's prepping the house to paint. We're taking some time off work in early May to paint, who hoo! I am so sick of beige, and now that's it's time to paint we'll go with gray, sage green or something with some color. I got an app for my phone from Home Depot where you can take a photo of your house then overlay a color and see what it will look like, cool! We may build a small shed so we're looking at designs we can build from scratch.

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something-
Prepping the house for painting, scraping, patching, etc. We'll landscape an empty area from where we had to take down our nectarine tree last year. I'll do some nice pollinating plants for that area.

Easy Easter Decor-

Here's a peek at my very simple Easter decorations, simple simple-

Bunny watching the yard

From Mama Pea's giveaway, my fave Spring mini quilt

Some eggs in my French clock

  

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Independence Days Challenge

Independence Days Challenge-

I haven't done much of these posts, so here's a bit of a hodge podge of things we're working on...

1. Plant Something- 

Nope, no fall gardens here, too hot. 96 two days ago :(

2. Harvest Something-

1st Patty Pan heritage squashes about ready, lots of apples, big bowl of tomatoes a couple days ago, more coming! Nectarines and pears are getting ready. Our rhubarb also made a come back and is turning pink! Maybe another week or 2...

girls enjoying the garden

squashes

Lemon Boy tomatoes

3. Preserve/Store Something-

Canning apple slices, applesauce and apple butter next weekend, Labor Day :) Lots of labor here! Freezing extra meats, whole grain rolls (great with winter soups), muffins and misc. stuff. Stocking up pantry closet of misc. items. Fermenting apple vinegar. I may do a second batch.

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep-

Got some great local peaches and tomatoes last week. Got work clothes clearance priced. Oddly, as always, summer clothes are going off the racks and winter coming in. It's 90 ish so it's summer for me! I refilled some prescriptions a few weeks early before my deductible rolls over in a week. Saved a few hundreds of $$$ on co-pays :) Score!

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- 

We've been eating lots of fresh apples from our tree! Two desserts done so far, so today I made a new apple muffin recipe, I thought I'd freeze some, fast and simple- Cooks.com I tripled the recipe and it made 16 large muffins. I also  modified it- I used 1/3 each: WW, Oat and Unbleached flours & added fresh ground nutmeg and 1 cup pecans-

I also used this long time fave apple pie recipe modified for a crumb cobbler, it has orange juice! Stephenson's Apple Pie recipe  Everyone LOVES it! Still cooling.

Made the fried fish BLT's from my last post-

 yummy!!!!

6. Build Community Food Systems-

Bought local fruits/veggies, selling extra eggs at work. I also gave my kids apples and eggs.

7. Recycle/Re-Use-

Recycled odds and ends of decor after painting interiors, my daughter adopted a few things this week, ebayed a few more things, box ready for charity.

8. Skill Up- 

Dave learned from his brother the easy way to remove/replace some of our damaged siding, so we can paint in the spring. You cut the nails with a sawzall so as not to damage the adjacent pieces. Worked great!

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something-

Repairing house siding, so we we be in good shape in the spring to paint. Dave was able to also patch some areas with the used siding for smaller areas. Some of the beat up siding fell apart in his hands. This side takes the brunt of the storms-

new siding on the bottom

banged up siding on the top, actually the bottom, oops

new siding up, will paint soon for the winter

Climate Has Already Changed- New Study, Independence Days Challenge, Great Book- "You Can Buy Happiness, It's Cheap"

Pensacola, Florida recently

Climate Has Already Changed: New Study-

When the government finally released it's new Climate Study this week- Globalchange.gov it was a bit more candid that I expected. While most people ignore this kind of thing, and most won't actually read it, it was pretty grim. I've read parts of it, since there's a lot there. I will read the rest soon. These are the N.W. highlights-

Water-related Challenges -Changes in the timing of streamflow related to changing snowmelt have been observed and will continue, reducing the supply of water for many competing demands and causing far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic consequences. 

Impacts on Forests: The combined impacts of increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases are already causing widespread tree die-off and are virtually certain to cause additional forest mortality by the 2040s and long-term transformation of forest landscapes. Under higher emissions scenarios, extensive conversion of subalpine forests to other forest types is projected by the 2080s.

Adapting Agriculture: While the agriculture sector’s technical ability to adapt to changing conditions can offset some adverse impacts of a changing climate, there remain critical concerns for agriculture with respect to costs of adaptation, development of more climate resilient technologies and management, and availability and timing of water.

We're already seeing this, despite our wet spring. Farmers may need to really get on board and start thinking outside the box if they can. I know that's a complicated issue, but it's sink or swim. I live in HIGH DESERT, and people still plant LAWNS. Ok, we get 10" of rain a year, so where is the water going to come from, to water turf??? I'm worried about DRINKING WATER! Anyway, it's the old- DO WHAT YOU CAN WHERE YOU CAN...

Scientist John P. Holdren discusses climate change

British WWII poster, courtesy of British War Archives

Independence Days Challenge-

1. Plant Something- Waiting for rain to stop, have Swiss Chard, Italian Kale (heritage) and seeds for Collard Greens to plant. I'll do the summer veggies soon, after I get the new chicks. It poured twice in the last 3 days! New snow in the hills today, and pea sized hail this afternoon-

2. Harvest Something- Apparently the hens are eating their eggs :(  Good thing I'm getting 4 pullets soon!

3. Preserve/Store Something- Starting to stock up on meats for the freezer, with the drought in California more in the back of my mind. I bought more chicken, now .99 cents a pound, and bacon. I may start buying more frozen/canned veggies to stockpile as well. I keep eyeing my 2 five gallon freeze dried buckets of mixed fruit/veggies. That was for real dire times :(  I don't know if those times will be sooner than I thought...

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Stockpiling more good deals on foods from the Grocery Outlet. Today we bought 3 used nickel finish knobs at the Habitat store, to replace our old, ugly brass ones from the 70's. They were great, $4.00 each instead of $11.00 new, and nice quality. All installed and purty-

We bought a new 50 gallon rain barrel for $35.00 today, and Dave got it installed-

The other 2 are leaking, so they may to to the free Craigslist. Got a few things on eBay. 

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- Bought a new Chili/Lime dry rub in the bulk spices section. Will try that on a pork roast.

6. Build Community Food Systems- Will get some of my own rhubarb soon, but will ask my neighbor for some. She throws her away!

7. Recycle/Re-Use- We recycled some screen that needs to be replaced on our side garage door. I asked Dave to cover the rain barrel opening (no hole) to keep our the leaves and debris. Worked great. I'll screen that door next. Will give the old knobs to Habitat for someone else. Donated our old stuff that was good to them from the bathroom. I have a donation pile ready for the local Mountain Rescue EMT group in Idaho City for the yearly fund raiser- clothes, shoes, a mower, etc.  I took the 4 knobs that came with the IKEA cabinet and recycled those onto our other bedroom closet doors. Old bathroom cabinet knobs I bought from HD several years ago, will be put on our bedroom closet bi-fold doors. I need to buy one-

8. Skill Up- Learned about bathroom re-dos and gutter (which work great!!!) installation. I'm figuring how to "upcycle" some of my extra clothes in the Lagenlook I like. It will be free and give me more variety.

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- I wanted to re-do the fencing on the shade area for the girls. It was green plastic fencing, had ripped, was just ugly and very visible form our living room-

For $15.00 we bought chicken wire and Dave got it up in 15 minutes. Ugly all gone. Will recycle the green fencing in the veggie garden. It's much more invisible now!

Great Book- You Can Buy Happiness, It's Cheap-

If you think you don't have too much stuff, read this book, and you'll probably change your mind! I realized after I checked out the book from the library, that I already knew who she was-

Tammy Strobel, author and her tiny home

Anya enjoying some fresh spring air-